Photographic camera.



PATENTBD JUNE 25, 1907.

y L. BORSUM. PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA; APPLIGATION FILED APRJY, 1905.

4 8HEETS-SHBET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

L. BORSUM. PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

ABPLIOATION FILED APB-.17, 1905.

4 sums-sum z.

i ATENTED JUNE 25; 1907.

L. BORSUM.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1'I,1905.

4 SHEBTB-BHEET 4.

LOUIS BORSUM, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed April 17, 1905. Serial No. 256,139.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS BORSUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plain field, county .of Union, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cameras known focusing ground glass in the top of the camera box.

The purpose of this lnvention is to provide a structure wherein the front member, carrying the lens, may becollapsed or folded rearwardly against the rear member carrying the focal plane shutter and plate holder, thev parts being readily drawn apart by extension of a connecting collapsible structure or bellows, within which the hinged reflecting mirror is contained. With such a construction all of the advantages of the reflex camera are retained; while its normal bulk is materially reduced.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation with the bellows structure, between the front and rear member of the camera, extended and the observation hood elevated for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section with the observation hood extended for use but broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rear or, shutter end of the camera with the collapsing bellows interposed between it and the front member broken away. Fig. 4 is a plan with the cover of the chamber, in which the observation hood is packed, removed. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5, 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, is a longitudinal section showing the camera folded or collapsed; and Fig. 7, an enlarged detail view showing the relation of some of the parts.

The ri id, box-like rear member a is formed with a plate holding chamber 1) and upper and lower shutter-roll chambers c, (i.

indicates an" ordinary plate holder and b anordinary focal plane shutter of any appropriate construction. On the end of the axis of the upper shutter roll is the usual ratchet wheel a engaged by a. detent pawl c, the axis of which extends to the inside of the the mirror loosely extends.

box and has a radially projecting arm 0 that is struck by a projection 0 on the rotatable axis of the focusing mirror 0, when the latter is swung upwardly out of the path of the light cone. This construction is common and well understood and is sufficiently indicated in the drawing.

e is the axis of the swinging mirror mounted in suitable bearings in the side walls of the rear member a and having applied to it a spring 6 that tends normally to throw the mirror upwardly toward or against the ground glass f forming the bottom of the box or chamber 9 in the top of the camera box and within which is normally folded the collapsible observation hood it provided at its upper end with appropriate eye piecesor observation apertures h. The mirror, when the camera is extended for use, is normally held down by a latch 6 controlled by a spring.

supported push button e in the side wall of the rear box or member a.

At the rear lower corner of the box 9 project strips 72. through which the shaft e of The box, therefore, may swing upon such hinge joint for purpose of colla sing the camera as seen in Fig. 6. WVhen t e camera is extended, however, as in Fig. 2, the box may be lifted by means of the hood, or otherwise, into position shown and there retained by means of a latch if released by a button h extendin (Figs. 1 and 2) through the front member 0 the camera and which when raised withdraws the latch from the box so that the iatter may be folded downwardly.

Extending rearwardly from the front board k is a horizontal plate k a ainst the under side of the rear edge of which a flange or'lip k on the front of box 9 abuts when the box israised, as in Fig. 2. This serves as a guard against admission of light that might enter along the front of the box g. Attached around the two sides and bottom of the exposure opening a in the front board of the ICO rear member a, is a collapsible segmental bel- .60 a and the mirror andjbox fold toward the focal plane as illustrated in Fig "111 the top of the bellows ported by latch 77, in the top of the bellows, light being excluded. 7 A second segmental bellows p whose closed should it leak in at the sides of the box.

'- shutter is tri latch 71.

The front box or member it of the camera carries the lens and is connected by a bellows m attached to the front board k to the board d of the rear box a, in which the exposure opening a is formed. The upper side of this bellows is formed with a square opening within which the box 9 fits. The bellows at the sides of this box are shown in Fig. 4 being-marked m. The front and rear members of the camera are connected by folding toggle linksn of well known construction which hold the two members separated and the bellows extended, as in Fig. 2, but which may be collapsed when pressed toward each other to permit folding of the camera as in Fig. 6. When the front and rear members of the camera are drawn apart, links 0 pivoted to the ends of posts 0 onthe front board k and pinned to the sides of the frame 9" surrounding the open front face of segmental bellows 7', (Fig. 7) draw the bellows forwardly and carry with it the mirror '6 lying u on the frame. lVhen the camera is cometely extended as in Fig. 2 the mirror is held at an angle of 45, and the box 9 supfits closely in the opening apex is at the rear lower corner of box 9 has its sides connected to that box and to the sides frame 7" of the bellows j. The front curved end of bellows p is open to admit rays of light from the lens to the mirror which may be swung up and down within the bellows, and the sides of the latter at the top are extended beyond or in front of box 9 to exclude light The mirror when throwndown by the usual thumb button 2 applied to its shaft 0, is held by latch e and, the observation hood being extended, the image of a picture to be taken is received upon themirror and reflected upwardly upon the ground-glass f upon which it is focused. When the image has been focused, pressure upon the button e releases the mirror which is thrownup by its spring e against the box 9 closing the camera against entrance of light through the ground glass; and, when the mirror has about reached itsmost elevated position, the ped by the action of projection cupon the atch c 0 (Fig. 3). The front lower edge of the extended segmental bellows is placed at such an elevation as not to intercept rays of light entering through the lens. To fold the camera, the toggle links on each de are pressed toward each other, the 3 is operated to release the box 9 and front member 7c of the camera box is collapse the" pressed rearwardly, the bellows 7',

6. The opening which is occupied hyfbox g, may be stiffened by insertion of wires in the upper foldsm;

I claim as my invention:

1. A photographic camera comprising the combinationwith front and rear sections of a camera box and an extensible and collapsible light tight structure connecting 'them, of a downwardly foldable focusing glass hinged to the rear section of the box and observable through an opening in the collapsible struc ture when the latter is extended, a downwardly foldable reflector also hinged to the rear section, and a segmental bellows applied around the exposure opening of such section and having an open front closed by the reflector when the camera is in condition for a picture to be focused. I

2. A photographic camera comprising the combination with the front and rear sections of a camera box and an extensible and collapsible light tight structure connecting them, of a downwardly foldable focusing glass hinged to the rear section of the box and observable through an opening in the collapsible structure when the latter is extended, a downwardly foldable reflector also hinged to the rear section, a segmental bellows applied around the exposure opening in such section and having an open front closed by the reflector when the camera is ready for a picture to be focused, and means connected Withthe front section of the box operating to draw the segmental bellows and reflector into proper angular position when the camera is extended for use.

3. A photogra hie camera comprising the combination wit the focal-plane section of the'box', the lens section of the box, and a light-tight bellows connecting them whereby the two sections may be extended for use or collapsed of a downwardly foldable focusing box occupying an opening in the to of the bellows when the camera is extended and Whose bottom is formed by the focusing.

glass, a segmental bellows applied around the exposure opening in the focal planesection of the box and having its curved lower end closed and its front side open, a second segmental bellows having its front end open and its sides connected to the focusing box and to the first named segmental bellows, and a downwardly foldable hinged reflector movable in said second segmental bellows andserving in one position to close the open-front side of the first named bellows andin another position to exclude light entering the camera through the focusing glass.

4. A photogra hic camera comprising the combination with the focal-plane section of the box, the lens section of the box, and a lighttight bellows connecting them whereby the twosections may be extended for use or collapsed, of a downwardly foldable focusing box occupying an opening in the top of the bellows whose bottom is formed 'by the focusing glass, a segmental bellows applied around the when the camera extended and ing in said section and ready to focus a picture,

exposure opening in the focal plane section of the boxand having its curved lower end closed and its front side open, a second segmental bellows having its front end open and its sides connected to the focusing box and to the first named segmental bellows, a downwardly foldable hinged reflector movable in said second segmental bellows and serving in one position to close the open front side of the first named bellows and in another position to exclude light entering the camera through the focusing glass, and means connected with the'lens section of the box oper ating to draw the segmental bellows that is applied around the" exposure opening and a so the reflector into proper angular position when the camera is extended for use.

5. A photogra hic camera comprising the combination wit the lens section and focal. plane section ofa camera box and an extensileand collapsible light tight structure connecting them of a. downwardl foldable focusing ground-glass hin ed to the focal plane section of the box and o servable through an opening in the collapsible structure when the latter is extended, a downwardly foldable r'eflector also hinged to said section, a segmental bellows applied around the exposure openwhose open front is when the camera is closed by the reflector links connecting the two box sections and constructed to hold them properly separated when the camera is extended, and interior links connecting the front section to said segmental bellows whereby the latter and the reflector are drawn into-proper angular position when the camera is extended for use.

6. A photographic camera comprising the J combination with a focal plane section, a lens section and an extensible and collapsible structure interposed between them in either extended or collapsed condition, of a focusing glass and a reflector both foldable toward the focal plane and contained within said structure between the said two sections when the camera is collapsed.

7. A photographic camera comprising the combination with a focal plane section, a lens section and an extensible and collapsible bellows interposed between them of a box adapted to occupy an opening in the bellows when the latter is extended, an observation hood attached to the box and foldable thereinto, a focusing glass constituting the bottom of the box and a reflector, the box and reflector being adapted to fold downwardly toward the focal plane when the camera is collapsed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LOUIS BORSUM.

' Witnesses:

KATHARINE MAoMAHoN, L. F. BROWNING. 

